This invention relates generally to turbine engines and, more particularly, to a portable tool for determining the moment weight of rotating machine components such as turbine buckets.
At least some known gas turbine engines include a core engine having, in serial flow arrangement, a fan assembly and a high pressure compressor which compress airflow entering the engine. A combustor ignites a fuel-air mixture which is then channeled through a turbine nozzle assembly towards low and high pressure turbines which each include a plurality of rotor blades that extract rotational energy from airflow exiting the combustor. Gas turbines are used in different operating environments to provide, for example, propulsion for aircraft and/or to produce power in land-based power generation systems.
During normal operation, gas turbine engines may experience high rotational speeds. An imbalance of the rotor may cause vibration of the rotor and induce stresses in the rotor bearings and support structures. Over time, continued operation with such stresses may lead to failure of the bearings, bearing support structure(s) and/or other rotor components. Failure of a component within the engine system may damage the system and/or other components within the system, and may require system operations be suspended while the failed component is replaced or repaired. More particularly, when the component is a turbofan gas turbine engine fan blade, a blade-out condition may also cause damage to one or more blades downstream from the released blade.
To facilitate minimizing imbalance of the disk or wheel during operation, the blades or buckets are assembled in a controlled manner. For example, one control that may be used in assembling buckets to rotors includes determining the moment weight of each bucket and using that information to map each bucket into specific wheel slots.
Currently, fairly complex moment weight scales are available, but there appears to be no present option for a customer to perform these measurements on site due to the size, cost and complexity of the equipment. There remains a need, therefore, for a relatively simple, inexpensive and portable moment weight tool that a customer can use on site.